Cough by Jacqueline Druga Read Free Book Online

also the perfect argument for paying attention to what your kids do. Three day science fair, right? We get a call on day two from the kid’s own father. The guy’s a veterinary virologist and was concerned about the pest and animal control agent his son made. He shared his concerns with school officials who dismissed it. They said it didn’t work. Not that they tested it, but they were certain the stuff in the Mason jar was pretty much for show.”
    “It wasn’t, I take it.” Charles said.
    “Nope. We almost dismissed it. The Vet Germ guy said his son based this germ on Kennel cough. And that the kid spent countless hours in the lab with him. Kennel cough is not transmittable to humans. Although some will argue. What the kid made was airborne. A fluke. Humans did catch it but it wasn’t contagious. The jar seeped, the father stated that people in his home and some of the teachers had this weird cough. Sure enough, it was form of Kennel cough. The kid serves six months in a Juvie home, the germ goes to The World Health Organization and supposedly they destroyed it. The kid had to turn in his so called recipe. But he also turned it in to the fair. Here’s the kicker. Not all samples arrived. Apparently a sample of the mutated virus extracted from the victims went missing. Just when we started that case, we learned the tenth grade recently retired science teacher sold the kid’s recipe to someone for three point eight million dollars.”
    “Jesus,” Charles gasped.
    “That’s when things got interesting. Someone got the mutated extraction sample and the recipe and mixed them. That’s what we’ve been chasing. When it showed up in the Congo, I chose to be assigned to you.”
    “What happened to the kid?” Rupert asked. “I would have found the kid to help.”
    “Oh, he’s in the field of bioengineering. Coincidentally, and it was a coincidence, no more, he was at the Congo site.”
    Charles closed his eyes. “Emir.”
    “Was that a guess?” Stokes asked.
    “Yes.” Charles said. “Just his fear of it, passion for it.”
    “Emir?” Rupert did a double take looking back and forth between Stokes and Charles. “Our Emir Najjar created the original virus. I find it…”
    A hard double knock on the door preceded, the opening and a security guard stepped inside. “I’m sorry to bother you. But we have a situation. I’m not sure if it’s authorized, but we were reviewing …”
    “What is it?” Rupert asked, hurrying the security guard along.
    “May I?” He pointed to Rupert’s computer.
    “Yes.”
    The guard made his way to the computer then after several clicks, he pulled up security footage. “The BSL4 High Pry Lab.”
    Rupert and Charles looked at the footage.
    Emir was in the sample room, full gear.
    Rupert shook his head. “He works there. Not a big deal. He’s authorized.”
    “Watch.” The security guard said. “Is he authorized to do this?”
    Just as he finished speaking they watched Emir carry a case.
    “What is he doing?” Rupert asked.
    The security guard clicked and switched the footage. The next video feed showed Emir outside the lab with the case.
    “Oh my God,” Charles said. “He took it?”
    “When?” Stokes questioned.
    “Um, sir, do I need to say this in front of the janitor?” The guard asked.
    Rupert, speaking rushed and irritated, repeated Stokes question. “When?”
    “This was brought to my attention an hour ago.”
    Stokes slammed his hand. “An hour? He has an hour head start.” He lifted his phone.
    Charles stopped him. “What are you doing?”
    “Calling this in. He …:
    “He’s got good intentions,” Charles said. “I know him. If he took it, he has a reason.”
    “Yeah, to release it.”
    “No,” Charles argued. “That’s not Emir. Don’t call this in, not yet. Let’s go find him. I’ll call him. He’s not releasing it.”
    Stokes drew in an expression of debate, then exhaled. “One half hour. We have one half hour to find him,